Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Exodus 24:9 - 24:18

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Exodus 24:9 - 24:18


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The Elders Appear Before God; Moses Remains

v. 9. Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,
representing the prophetic, the priestly, and the political element of the children of Israel, according to God command, v. 1;

v. 10. and they saw the God of Israel,
who revealed Himself to them in some form which gave them an idea of His divine essence; and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, a brilliant formation of sapphire blue, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. It was a vision of the covenant God of Israel, of Him who had first revealed Himself to the patriarchs, in all the beauty of His grace and faithfulness. Thus the fellowship, the alliance, of the children of Israel with the majestic God was perfected.

v. 11. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand,
the Lord did not harm them, although they, sinful people as they were, stood in the presence of God's holiness and justice; also they saw God, and did eat and drink, they held a feast in the presence of the vision, thus testifying to the complete and strong fellowship that obtained between them and the Lord of the covenant. It was a foretaste of the precious and wonderful blessings with which the Lord intended to satisfy the souls of His people forever.

v. 12. And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount and be there.
Moses is here summoned to a private interview and to a long stay on the mountain. And I will give thee tables of stone, and a Law, and commandments which I have written, a codex prepared by the hand of God Himself, that thou mayest teach them.

v. 13. And Moses rose up and his minister,
his servant, Joshua, Exo_17:9; Exo_32:17; Exo_33:11; and Moses went up into the mount of God, to the summit of Sinai.

v. 14. And he said unto the elders,
who were still at the side, or at the foot of the mountain where the glory of the Lord had been revealed to them, Tarry ye here for us until we come again unto you; and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man have any matters to do, any difficult matter which requires adjustment, let him come unto them; he appointed them as chief magistrates to act during his absence.

v. 15. And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount,
blotting out all the brilliance and clearness which the elders had witnessed.

v. 16. And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days,
thus increasing the impression of awe which the people felt in consequence of all these marvelous happenings. And the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud, summoning him into His very presence.

v. 17. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
"Into this fiery radiance Moses enters, through the fiery flame of the unapproachable justice of God, through the lightnings of the flaming sword of the cherubim, in order to receive the fiery Law. " (Lange. )

v. 18. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount. And Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
But we are reminded of the fact that our Lord, unless approached in and through Christ, is a consuming fire, Heb_12:29.